Riku 2: The Hunt for Love
by DreamWeaver010
Summary: Sequel to Riku. From Closter phobia to love, to stolen love. Just when Riku thought he’d found what he’d been searching for, Lucia vanishes. She leaves in her place in Riku’s heart a burning desire to find her.
1. The Ranch's Torching

**Riku 2: The Hunt for Love**

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters or settings.

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Please note that this is a squeal. I've tried to write it so that you don't need to read the first to understand, but I do suggest at least glancing at "Riku" before beginning.

I would like to thank all of my reviewers for "Riku" who demanded a sequel since I wouldn't have written one either wise. I hope I don't disappoint you all.

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_**Chapter 1—The Ranch's Torching **_

Riku watched Sora and Kairi head back toward home. They'd accomplished their mission; the shadow creature that had been bothering people had been an older teen, out looking for a good time. He'd received a good whack on the head, a severe scolding, then another hysterical scolding from his mother when they'd walked back, Kairi having a firm hold of his head, to his own home.

Once that was taken care of, Riku had volunteered to tell Lucia and Mark, the owners of The Ranch, that the problem was taken care of. The two had agreed and strutted off after quick goodbyes.

He tilted his head, a funny feeling creeping up inside him about why they'd give in so easily. Maybe they just didn't like The Ranch...?

He turned and took his time getting back to The Ranch. It was maybe a mile and a half, so it wouldn't take him that long. And the day was young.

He wanted to get there, but not at the expense of being too tired to hang out with Lucia. For no logical reason, his heart bubbled at the mere thought of her. He wanted to try and make her laugh when he told her about his original fear—the fear he had denied—when he'd first come face to face with the creature, wanted to see her smile when he told her about the demise of the shadow creature.

Memories played through his mind and he smiled that much more as each particular event touched a heart string. Yes, he missed her. He wanted to go back.

That thought brought back his strange version of Closter phobia. Would he begin to hate Lucia like he had hated home, Sora and Kairi? Surely not. He'd been stuck with those two by fate, by chance. He'd found Lucia on his own.

Soon, Riku stood on the hill that overlooked The Ranch, his heart sinking. He knew it had been too easy, not enough to it—something tugged at his mind, something not quite right.

The Ranch was burning. One of the barns was already to the ground, melted into blackish char. Flames licked at the others that still half stood.

The Ranch was vacant. Lucia was gone.

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	2. One Living, Present Victim

**_Chapter 2—One Living, Present Victim _**

**PLEASE NOTE**: There are KH2 spoilers here.

Riku almost stumbled as he tried to walk down to where the rubble was burning. He came first to the ranch house, falling to his knees. He almost reached out to touch the flames, as if his touch could diminish them. He gulped.

What had happened here? Where was Lucia? Mark? The ranch hands? Had they all died in these fires?

No, that was unlikely. They would have run.

But Lucia... what if...? He couldn't be sure she was okay. There was just no way to tell.

For a long moment, he felt torn between anger and despair. The happy reunion he had pictured would never be. The feelings he had had for Lucia might have to stop here. No, they'd never stop, they'd only be wasted.

But how dare anyone hurt her! How dare anyone burn the ranch buildings! How dare she die like that! How, why? Why Lucia?

His head bolted up into the slight wind. He'd heard his name, spoken softly like from a dry throat. He pushed off of his knees to stand, looking around.

Then Riku saw him. One of the ranch hands, stumbling from the woods. He looked to be slightly burned, his clothes ragged. He was barely standing. Riku ran and barely caught the man before he fell hard on the ground.

The man pulled in gasping breathes.

"What happened here? Where's Lucia?" Riku demanded, looking around the area again from this different position.

"People... in black, like that boy... who you and your friends... friends went to chase off. They came. They took Lucia and... and Mark, scared off everyone else. Some of us... tried to fight them, but they... were too strong."

"They took Lucia and Mark? Where'd they go? How many were there?"

The man gulped, his breathing having eased, but he was still panting. "Maybe eleven... twelve. I didn't count them exactly... They went toward the woods, I'm pretty sure. Yes, the woods. Mark, poor kid, was terrified. But he... he landed a punch on one of them when he tried to take Lucia."

It sounded too much like Organization XIII. The kid in black that he, Sora and Kairi had chased off had been wearing a full length black robe, too. Riku hadn't thought anything of it at them time; black concealed easier at night and in dark places. But now, with word of there being others, the pieces started to fall into place.

"You'll never stop us all!" the kid had yelled from his front porch, just before his mother had dragged him inside their house and slammed the door. _You'll never stop us all. _

The Organization couldn't be back. Sora had taken care of them two years ago. And Nobodies faded, their existence not marked in anyway, so they couldn't be back.

Riku looked for temporary shelter, since the buildings were still burning, though two of them now where nothing more then brightly burning embers.

"In the woods..." Riku turned back to the panting man and found him looking at the woods.

"You see something?"

"No, in the woods... there's a tree, marked with an "L". Buried next to the trunk is a supply kit... of sorts."

Riku nodded. "Stay here, rest. I'll be right back."

"No, I'll come with you! ...To show you where it is,"

"Are you sure you can handle that? You don't need to over work yourself."

The man's lips made a tight line, but he nodded. Riku nodded back and went into the woods to find that tree. He searched several all the way around, careful looking for a carved "L".

It took him about ten minutes to find it and when he did, the place where the kit lay was obvious; the man must have already started trying to dig it out.

Riku's nails were lined with a sloppy dirt by the time he had the kit. There was a first aid kit, some canned food, a small bag of misc. things and a packaged tent. An interesting, yet impressive mix.

Riku carried the items back out from the woods and pitched the tent by himself, with the ranch hand giving instructions. The man was still having a bit of a time breathing.

When the tent was up, Riku built up a fire with twigs and tender from the woods and cooked some of the canned food, but he ate little.

"How long ago did this happen?" Riku asked at length, motioning to the burnt out buildings.

"Several hours ago now," the man said, looking up into a sky that was growing dark.

"People like that one pest, right?"

The man nodded.

"And they went into the woods?"

The man nodded again. "Taking only Lucia and Mark."

"Alright, then."

Riku stood and check his pack for the full length black cloak. The one he had worn when he had appeared to be Ansem while harnessing the darkness.

"_I don't know why... but I get the feeling you'll need it,"_ Kairi had said when she'd handed him the folded outfit just before he had parted ways with her and Sora.

"_My cloak? But why..."_

"_I don't know, but take it... just in case."_

"_I left this thing at The World that Never Was. How did you get it?"_

"_How I got it is not important. What is important is how you use it now."_

He'd use it alright. Kairi had been right; he did need it. If these people—kids, probably, if the first was any indication—were trying to be like Organization XIII, he would need it.

Riku pulled it on over his head, adjusting the sleeves and gloves. Then he pulled the hood up.

"You... you look like one of them." the man stuttered.

"Good. Stay here. I'll be back shortly." Riku turned and walked into the woods just as the sun slid over the horizon.

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**Angel-of-Twilight13****Angel Of Blacksouls****, a random idiot** (I promise to try to not let it run short) and **ZexionSchemes,** thank you all so much for checking out the sequel! Thank you also for reviewing!


	3. Riku's Anger

**Chapter 3—Riku's Anger**

As Riku walked through the woods and darkness fell, anger boiled inside him. He _needed_ to find Lucia. Needed to with a passion. She was gone, possibly hurt and he couldn't help her. Hadn't been there to protect her. It seemed so wrong now that he hadn't been able to sense that something was wrong; how could he have been so unaware of what was going on here?

The woods were thick, with vine-ridden trees everywhere. The brush hung over the tiny dirt path, weaving between trees. There was nothing here to suggest anyone had passed through recently. Riku couldn't see more then a few feet ahead of him for the night, the brush and the nature of the very path.

A moan came from ahead of him and he stopped. It had sounded like a painful moan, one made of out extreme tiredness and hurt. Riku listened for a long moment, his breathing labored and his heart pounding against his chest, the blood throbbing through his ears so that he felt if the moan were to be heard again, he wouldn't hear it.

It did come again, and he did hear it. This time, it came with shuffling noises, like someone was crawling on the ground, dragging along.

Whoever it was, the person didn't know Riku was there, and there wasn't a way to tell who it was by the moans. Riku took a step back into one of the deeper, darker shadows and waited. The scooting and shuffling noises came closer and closer and closer still until the limp figure, huddled on the ground, crawled into his view.

"Mark!"

Riku bolted from his hiding place, kneeling next to his friend. Mark looked up, shocked. Then familiarity flooded his face.

"Riku…"

Mark looked like he'd been beaten or something. He was bruised and his left arm might be broken, judging by the way he was holding it. Blood crested a large lump on his forehead and ran from one corner of his mouth.

Lucia…Had they done this to her too? The desire to ask the question was great, but was overridden by the immediate need to get Mark out of the woods. He'd made progress, finding Mark. But it wasn't enough.

"Don't talk, okay?" Riku mumbled as he pulled Mark up, wrapping one of Mark's arms around his neck and supporting the sixteen year old. Together, they worked their way back around the path, the trees. It was harder this time through because they were two persons wide now. But Riku managed it. Mark seemed to fade in and out of consciousness, but he was awake for the most part. He was worn. Riku was slightly tired himself, but adrenaline kept him awake and going.

He hoped it would last.

About twenty minutes later, Riku and Mark emerged from the woods, a campfire near where the tent was set up visible. Riku helped Mark sit down next to the fire gently as the ranch hand emerged from the tent. He was breathing much easier, now; one more burden off Riku's chest.

"Mark! You don't look so good, boy,"

"Don't feel so good…" Mark slurred.

Riku used the medical kit and patched Mark up. He had a small gash on his side in addition to the banged up head, but Riku treated it with rubbing alcohol and bandaged it up. Mark's arm was not broken, though any more pressure on the vulnerable are and it would be broken. He would have preferred if Mark had eaten something, but the kid fell asleep almost immediately after the pain of being fixed up subsided.

The ranch hand coughed. At first, Riku didn't pay much attention, but when he couldn't stop and the coughs raked his throat, Riku turned and inquired with his face expression. The man motioned that it was nothing and coughed twice more before clearing his throat and taking in a not-so-deep breath.

Riku accepted a little more to eat from the ranch hand. The man seemed to have everything under control here, but Riku wondered slightly about his coughing. He might have breathed a little too much smoke.

Riku looked up into the sky. It was dark, with a crescent moon. He had a decision to make: wait and get first hand information from Mark, or go back and try to find Lucia. If he waited, he'd lose time, but if he went on, he'd be walking blind again when he had a chance to know better what he was dealing with.

Restless with the decision, Riku stood and walked around the fire once, then out of the camp slightly, toward the woods, then turned back and circled the tent, then the fire again.

"The Ranch…"

Riku turned from staring at the fire to the voice. Mark's eyes were open slightly. He blinked twice. "They burnt it…I saw the flames when they pulled me away,"

Riku went and kneeled next to Mark. "Yes,"

"Lucia… they've got her,"

"Where, Mark? Where are they holding her?"

"The woods…really far back, past the river, I think… I'll show you," Mark said, and began to try and shove up. Riku touched his shoulder. Mark looked up and Riku shook his head. Mark looked mad for a moment, then lay back down.

"I can help you find her," Mark mumbled.

"I know you can, Mark. But you need to rest. Lucia won't be too happy with me if I don't take care of you,"

"I can take care of myself, thank you,"

Riku smiled and stood back up, looking at the woods. The ranch hand kneeled on the other side of Mark and offered the boy more to eat. Mark accepted.

"Are you going to wait on me?" Mark asked.

Riku shook his head slightly. "I don't know yet, and that's bad. I'm wasting time."

"Wait for me, Riku, please. I can show you where they are. Think about it—you go wandering out there on your own with no… no clue where they are and you'll waste how-long searching. Wait for me, and yes, we've lost some time, but I know where they are… Once I can get up we can get right there,"

"I know," Riku said. "How did you escape? And how was she when you left?"

"They… one of them hit me, so I hit him back. Then they swamped me. I heard Lucia yelling at them to stop. They just let me go. It all hurt so much that it was all I could do to just crawl away from them…I was a coward. I left my sister in danger to save myself,"

"Guilt won't get you anywhere, Mark. I know very well what it's like to put someone important to you in danger. You have to make things right, then when they're right, you have to move on. How was she? Had they hurt her?"

"No, I don't think so. They said something about… about her heart."

"Her heart?" Riku turned and looked down at Mark.

Mark nodded. "They wanted to… extract it."

Riku looked back up to the woods where he'd found Mark. "Go back to sleep, Mark. We will find your sister when you wake up."

Mark fell back asleep after a few moments.

The cape, a goal of "extracting" hearts and Kairi's feeling. It was all he had and it all pointed to one thing: Organization XIII. Riku knew in his heart that these kids weren't the real thing. Nobodies faded back into darkness most of the time and he and Sora had seen to it that the original XIII members did so.

They had Lucia. Riku felt cool anger take over him and his mind set on his goal.

"Hold on, Lucia," he mumbled.

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This chapter is a little longer then I usually do them; I hope it satisfies those of you who enjoy long chapters. But I cannot promise that they will always be this way; they just end up short sometimes. **Ekina, Angel Of Blacksouls, ****ZexionSchemes and Tyrell Cchran-DaRk AnGel**: Thank you all for your reviews!


	4. Finding Lucia

**Chapter 4—Finding Lucia **

The next time Mark woke up, it was mid morning. Riku had been up nearly all night, despite his attempts at sleeping some. He was tired, as he had been before, but paid it no heed. He was poking at the fire that was now hot against his skin, even though he had packed his black cloak back into his pack for later. The ranch hand was still asleep.

Mark crawled out from the tent, sleepily, but greatly improved. "I'm starving," he mumbled. Riku gave him some of the remaining food. No doubt that to Mark, it really felt like starvation; Lucia kept him well-fed.

"Are you sure you can remember the way? You were barely awake when I found you." Riku mumbled slightly after a few moments.

"I can manage," Mark promised, shoving another bite down.

"Don't go so fast; you'll make yourself sick,"

"But I'm so hungry,"

Mark finished off what Riku had offered him in no time. Riku ate a carrot, saved a bit of the canned meat for the ranch hand and gave the rest of the food—not much—to Mark. He wafted it down in minutes.

Then, once he had eaten it all, he pushed himself to his feet, a little unsteady at first, but then stable. "Let's get going,"

Riku looked his young friend over. Signs of fatigue were still obvious and more extreme then Riku would like, but the determination was strong enough to keep Mark going... for a little while.

Nodding, Riku stood and made an arrow in the dirt that pointed toward the woods. The ranch hand would understand the message when he got up.

Together, Riku and Mark set out, slowly at first. Riku let Mark choose the pace and followed him. The teenager walked quickly, yet slowly at the same time, examining the surroundings. About fifteen minutes later, the sun was almost at its peak in the sky. Heat sheered them, but neither complained. Riku worried, though, that the heat would not help Mark continue long enough to find Lucia.

"This is where I found you last night," Riku said. Mark looked around thoroughly, taking note of the trees, the path and the way it twisted.

"I came to the path several minutes before you found me,"

"Do you remember where you came into the path?"

"It was near this really twisted up tree; I'll know it when I see it," Mark said. Riku nodded, following Mark as he continued on down the path. Minutes ticked by, one right after the other and with each passing second, Riku felt the urge to find Lucia intensify. She could be in danger and these seconds that were ticking by might be her very last.

"Here!" Mark said suddenly. There, to the left of the twisted path was a twisted tree. Slight marks on the ground showed that someone had recently gone through that area, off the path and back into the thick mass of woods.

Mark led the way still, looking around slowly. His pace had slacked off, partly because of his concentration and partly because of the now rough terrain.

Again, Riku could count the seconds as they stretched out. He waited as he moved on, following Mark.

Then Mark stood up straight from his bent over position. "I..."

"What?" Riku asked, his attention coming to life.

"I... I don't know where we are..."

Riku stopped himself from rolling his eyes with a curse. Instead, he forced out a tired and frustrated sigh. Mark's self-hatred was obvious in the way he stood with his eyes down.

"How long have you felt lost?" Riku asked, trying to be gentle.

"A few minutes at most," Mark said softly. "We're not lost, I guess. I just don't know where to go from here,"

"Which direction do you think is the right one?"

Mark concentrated for a long moment, then turned toward the east. "This way,"

Riku nodded, letting Mark continue to lead. Not only did the boy need the small amount of self esteem, but he also had a better chance of knowing where to go then Riku had.

Shoving branches aside, stumbling through slight mud, over fallen logs, around trees, vines and under brush, they continued. The heat scorched Riku's back, but he felt accustomed to it after the harvest on The Ranch only a few weeks prior. Sweat poured from his body, and that cooled him some. He forced Mark to take constant drinks of water from the two bottles he had, though it broke the boy's concentration somewhat each time. By the sun it was three in the after noon. Riku started puzzling over weather or not to continue on when darkness started to fall, or turn back. If they continued on, they might not have a choice; Mark was already exhausted and even though Riku had paid close attention, he doubted he could get them back out.

That posed a new question: If they did have to camp there, in the woods for the night, would he leave Mark there and go on by himself? Mark had not been fully recovered when they had begun this journey; he would be worse off the second time they rested.

Forcing himself to focus on the present, following Mark, memorizing the places where they went, he put the questions aside. He would ask them again, one at a time, when the time came.

"There," Mark whispered softly, pointing to a cave-like opening in a rock face. Small light came from inside. Mark plunged ahead without looking for traps of any kind. Riku caught up with him just as Mark reached the entrance, catching his arm.

"This is where they held us, I know it!"

Riku surveyed the area to make sure they were alone. He wasn't totally sure, but some of his concern was calmed. He saw no obvious traps, but then again, when had a trap ever been obvious...?

"Slowly," Riku said, letting Mark inch forward. They walked slowly into the cave, into the darkness it created.

Then, as they came into the light of two flame torches on the walls, Riku saw something large not far ahead.

"Lucia!" Mark exclaimed. They both bolted forward. Riku felt her wrist first for a pulse. It was there, but her skin was cold. He looked her over quickly and didn't see anything bad, then looked at her face.

She was pale and cold, her eyes closed and her breath faint. Riku touched her cheek with his fingertips, relief washing over him.

It was finally over; he'd found both Mark and Lucia. The Ranch buildings could be rebuilt, the people would come back; everything would be okay.

"At last! We've been waiting for you!" a deep voice called from behind them. Then Riku knew he had forgotten about one thing: the Organization XIII wanna-be's.

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**ZexionSchemes **and **Angel Of Blacksouls**, thank you both for your reviews. Hope you enjoyed this chapter; please let me know!


	5. Showdown of Fate Part 1

**Chapter 5—Showdown of Fate (Part 1)**

Riku spun around violently. There, at the entrance to the cave stood a cloaked figure.

"You!" Mark exclaimed, stepping away from Lucia as if he would strike the cloaked figure. Riku caught his arm, holding the boy back.

Riku looked back to the cloaked figure, staring firmly into the shadows where the face lie. "What do you want with Lucia?"

"Why, the darling's heart," he said.

"You can't have it!" Mark insisted as he turned back around and went to Lucia's side. "Wake up, sis," he mumbled to her, shaking her slightly.

Riku stood between the siblings and the cloaked man, his keyblade now unsheathed.

The man seemed to consider the keyblade. "I'll make a deal with you… Riku. We will fight. If you win, you're free to take Mark and Lucia away where ever you will…But if you lose… you will leave them both here. No second chances, no strings."

Riku looked back at Mark, who stared with an almost horrified look on his face as he watched this exchange. Lucia still lay unconscious. Their fate rested on him. He doubted that he could manage to talk their way out of this and the man seemed fixed on this idea. It might have all been planed, a set trap for him, maybe. But what would these people want with him?

Well, weather they wanted something or not, they'd hit a soft spot in taking Lucia.

"I accept you challenge," Riku said softly. The figure nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Let us go outside, where we have space to move," he departed. Riku looked back at Mark. The boy looked torn between staying with his sister and going to watch the fight.

Mark gulped. "I'll stay with Lucia."

Riku nodded, turned and left the two in the cave. Outside, the man stood back away from the cave entrance, a staff in his hand. Its ends were drawn down to deadly spikes and in the center was a small crystal sphere that glowed bright red.

And the fight began.

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Thank you both for your reviews, **Cheekie Excel** (I'm sorry that you find the story abrupt. I have been having many cases of writer's block lately and have only been able to piece things together, but I promise to work on it.) and **Angel Of Blacksouls.**


	6. Showdown of Fate Part 2

**Chapter 6—Showdown of Fate (Part 2)**

Riku's keyblade and his opponent's spear collided in a dead lock, both pushing hard, both to keep their balance, and to try and shove the other off. In a down-ward motion, the length of the keyblade slid down the spear's end and both fell back a few steps with the pressure and angle at which it was exerted.

They stared, their eyes locked, both absorbing the first taste of the fight, gauging the other, trying to determine weaknesses.

"I'd like to know your name, or should I give you one?" Riku said

"Giving you my name would be the polite thing to do, and seeing as how you're going to die, of no significance. But… let's see what you decide is a fitting name?"

Riku leveled his keyblade and in exchange, the spear was leveled, ready for another head on attack. "Shadow," Riku mumbled. Then, in simultaneous movement, both charged again.

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Inside the cave, Mark could hear the fighting going on outside. It chilled him to the bone, listening to each hit and the slight grunts. He turned from looking toward the cave entrance—though he hadn't been able to see anything from where he'd stood—and looked down at Lucia again. She was still unconscious, so peaceful looking. Her hair flowed over her shoulder and down the stone where she was laid, her arms crossed over her chest. She was pale and hardly breathing, and that scared him something terrible.

He shook her shoulders gently. "Wake up, sis… We gotta get outa here,"

The air vibrated with the tension as the metal against metal sounds continued. Lucia still refused to be wakened.

"Don't even try it, kiddo," the voice was feminine.

Mark jumped, scared out of his wits. Someone dressed in the same black cloak as the one Riku was fighting stood on the other side of the stone Lucia lay on. There was solid rock behind her, so how…?

"Your sister won't wake up."

Mark stared in horror at the cloaked figure, then back at his sister. She remained just as she had been when they'd first found her. She hadn't moved a muscle, except for the light breathing. Nothing he said or did woke her. Would she truly never wake up?

"W-why?" Mark demanded in a violent whisper as he looked back up at the figure.

"If you want to know that…" she trailed off as she took a spear, sharpened at both ends with a sphere in the center that glowed a bright blue. "…then you'll have to defeat me,"

"I-I can't fight…!" The words were both a plea and a terrible, humiliating admission that rang true, biting at Mark's very being. He couldn't fight, didn't know how, didn't have a weapon. How was he supposed to protect his sister?

"Then I guess you'll never know, huh?"

The sounds of stone against stone came from behind the figure and Mark stared in amazement as the stone wall directly to the figure's left was moved away to reveal a passageway. Two more cloaked people came from there, and they too unsheathed spear-like weapons with glowing orbs. One was green and the other yellow.

Mark could have run out of the cave, perhaps he should have, but he needed to stay with Lucia. He could not leave her again.

"Welcome back, kid," one of the newcomers said. "We missed you," the voice held mockery.

They came toward him, one around the left and the other to the right. Mark's last chances of escape flittered away in the second it took them to circle him. Instead of facing them, he turned back to Lucia and took her hand in his, squeezing it firmly.

"Come on, Lucia, wake up," he begged softly.

One hand came down on his shoulder, and another immediately followed his mouth. Together, two of them were able to restrain him, tying a skin-cutting rope around his wrists behind his back. He wiggled and squirmed, but they were strong—and that was insulting to a young man who made his living on a farm!—and he couldn't yell to let Riku know what was happening.

Riku… he'd come back and find them both gone. And chances were that he wouldn't be able to find the hidden passage way in the stone wall. He paused for the barest second to listen to the battle. Riku gave what sounded like a cry of frustration before the battle-clashing sounds of weapon on weapon took over again.

The other figure picked Lucia up off the stone, still carrying her weapon and the two brought Mark around to follow through the door. It spun open.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Mark's eyes widened in shocked surprise. Kairi stood in the doorway, a keyblade in hand.

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Riku wasn't winning, and that surprised him. Well, maybe he wasn't winning, but he wasn't losing either. He was in a stand still. A stand still that was draining him of much-needed energy. At this rate… How much longer could Shadow last, he wondered slightly without giving it much thought. If he were to put forth a lot of energy and get lucky, he could break this pattern and finish the fight, then return to Lucia and Mark.

The fact that Shadow could most likely do that too startled him. If Shadow could finish the battle, why didn't he?

"_...and seeing as how you're going to die..."_

If Shadow's goal was Riku's death, what was he waiting for? The perfect opportunity for either of them was now, right now while they continued in a volley of attacks and blocks and fall-backs. Shadow had a fair chance of killing him... unless...unless that wasn't his goal.

Riku's eyes widened in sudden clarity of the situation. Shock should have rendered his body useless, but he was forced through another round of blocked slashes. _Lucia!_

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**Angel Of Blacksouls **and **Cheekie Excel**, thank you both for your reviews. I'm sorry it took so long to update—writer's block has not abated. This is the only story that I have been able to write on, and only because I have the plot written out and the only thing left to do is fill in the details. Encouragement would be very welcome at this point.

I ought to start a forum about writer's blocks and how to get over them...


	7. Showdown of Fate Part 3

**Chapter 7—Showdown of Fate (Part 3)**

Riku had no choice. He was going to have to break the steady locks he and Shadow had been trapped in. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it to be true. This fight was a diversion. Something was happening inside the cave and they wanted him out of the way.

Pulling a deep breath into his lungs, he lunged, as he had a hundred times at that point. But this time with more force, shoving Shadow further back. The spear traveled down at Riku from over Shadow's left shoulder in a slicing movement. Riku's Keyblade was near the ground, giving him the advantage; he thrust upward and the two collided, electric sparking and both fell back.

Shadow was stunned; he hadn't been prepared for it and after so long of the fixed exchange. Riku took his chance. He turned on his heel and ran, hard and fast, towards the cave. He was horrified to find that the battle had drawn him much further away then he had thought, and knew even when he was half way back that that would be his undoing. He was so close, so close and yet still too far away when a sharp pain erupted in his back, on the inside of his right shoulder blade.

He jerked with the pain and the pointed end that Shadow held to his back was jabbed further into Riku's skin, burning, and provided the chance for Shadow to shove it further, turning the weapon as he did. The combined pain, Riku's now clumsy feet, his nearly walking pace, and Shadow nearly jumping on his back, forced Riku to the ground, the breath dragged out of his lungs.

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The one with the blue-orbed spear hissed when she saw Kairi standing in the way. "I don't know how you got in there, but for your own sake, leave now." The words were firm, confident.

"And leave Riku to take care of Mark and Lucia? No." Kairi held her Keyblade level, ready for one or all of them to attack. The two holding Mark threw the poor kid against the stone wall. He collapsed unconscious, blood on the side of his head, above his right ear.

The two withdrew their spears and flanked both sides of her. They were in a small space, providing little room for movement. The only advantage that Kairi could see was that she was smaller then either of them.

Simultaneously, the two sharp-ended spears came at her and Kairi jumped back a second before they would have made contact. They left large holes in the loose dirt ground. Then they were yanked from their position in the ground and returned to an attack position.

This time, the one on the left came first and she hit it back, only to meet the sting of the other on her arm.

Sora and Riku had been training Kairi, so she was a vast improvement from her performance in The World that Never Was, but still nearly overwhelmed by the two attacks coming together and one right after the other. She fought back, but despite everything, the two were fast and didn't seem to have a hard time of keeping up with her movements.

There was one good point, she conceded: the fight was taking place in front of the stone passageway; there was no way anyone was leaving unless it was out the cave entrance.

-----

Shadow laughed at his triumph as Riku wrestled to get up off the ground, but it wasn't working. He fought, harder and harder, but it wasn't working. The pain on his back had engulfed his shoulder and was starting to creep down his arm, the arm he wielded the Keyblade with. Riku couldn't see into the cave, could only see blackness, as Shadow turned him over, keeping him pinned, and held the spear high.

Riku grappled furiously.

"Stop struggling; die with at least a little dignity." Shadow mocked. The spear was poised to come down into his chest. Shadow was grinning evilly, obviously pleased with his work.

A second was all it took to let his doubts flash through his mind. Mark, poor kid, needed to get back to The Ranch, to a place where he was familiar with his surroundings. Sora and Kairi were waiting for him to finish up here, waiting for him to catch up. And Lucia... he'd never get to see her smile again, never get to kiss her again, never get to tell her...

Had he failed?

The point came down an inch in mock threat and Shadow laughed at the way Riku flinched.

Had he really truly failed...?

Now, the spear sliced through the air in a downward plummet.

-----

Mark moaned as he regained slight consciousness. His arms were sore from being held in place by the rope behind his back, and he felt the warm trickle of blood on his head, running down his ear.

Kairi was fighting two of the three. The other one still held Lucia, standing almost in front of him, like she was guarding him from interfering. Kairi was doing well, especially consider the tight space and numbers against her, but she wasn't making any ground. Mark strained to listen beyond the sounds of battle that echoed through the cave to hear what was happening outside.

_He didn't hear anything._

There were no cries of frustration, no sounds of metal on metal, no feet shifting the dirt, no gasping breaths.

What was Riku doing? Standing the man off? Had Riku won? Had the opponent won? What was going on?

Kairi grunted, a sound mixed with a stifled cry of pain. Mark turned to see her collapse to the dirt, holding her leg as blood oozed from behind her hand. Her Keyblade, a strange thing with flowers as ornaments, lay just out of her reach and two spears pointed down at her.

"Kill her," the one carrying to blue orb ordered. "Kill her now. End it."

**----**

**Angel Of Blacksouls**, I'm glad you like it and thanks for reviewing!

**Cheekie Excel**, thanks so much for the compliment on the action scenes. This one was vague on purpose, to give it a feeling of not really happening. Also, thanks for reviewing!

Hope you guys like cliff hangers. :)


	8. Battle's End

**Chapter 8—Battle's End**

I'd like to again note that there are Kingdom Hearts spoilers here, this time for 1 and 2. Please note also that the story is coming to a close, though at this point, I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be.

-------

In the milliseconds it took the spear to push through the air toward Riku to deliver a lethal blow, Riku instinctively reached up, above his head, not quite sure what he was doing...not sure that this was the way to spend his last seconds of life. He could be trying to block the point with his hands...he could be twisting out of the way, trying to struggle and throw off Shadow's balance...

...Then his hand gripped the handle of his Keyblade.

Certainty surged within him and his arm flew above his head, colliding with the spear as the sun glistened off of both weapons.

Both were still, neither breathed. Certainty drained away as panic replaced Riku's senses. Blood, warm yet cold, seeped out over his clothes, covering him. He lay paralyzed, his eyes closed, by the feel of that sticky liquid pouring gently over him, looking for pain of a wound, but finding none.

Shadow grunted then made a strangling noise. Riku opened his eyes. The sunlight that had blinded him when the weapons had collided was gone and Riku watched with mingled horror and satisfaction as Shadow fell backwards off of him to the ground, clutching the place where his own spear had ripped into his stomach.

The blood that had poured over him was Shadow's, not his own. The pain was Shadows, the strangled grunt, Shadow's.

Riku sat up, watching as his opponent's last breath seeped from his lungs. Then his body went limp, limbs collapsing into the dirt, still. Never to move again.

------

"Kill her," the one carrying to blue orb ordered. "Kill her now. End it."

Kairi refused to look the fear she felt. She'd fought, fought hard, but was not skilled enough, not experienced enough, to deal with two of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mark stirring. What would happen to the poor boy? To Lucia?

She'd tried, given it her all. It was all she could do and no one could ask anymore...

The spears were raised for the final blow and Kairi was torn between watching them come at her, seeing the wounds they made, or closing her eyes.

She was brave; she stared them down.

"Wait,"

The voice came from the cave entrance...where Riku stood. The front of him was covered in blood and he looked to be in pain, but he stood tall.

"Riku!"

"Hasn't ours dealt with you, yet?" the leader asked.

"Shadow tried, but in the end, died trying." Riku said, his voice holding sympathy and graveness. "Put Lucia down and we'll let you leave unharmed... this time."

The three shared a long look that none of the others could interpret because of the hoods. Long seconds stretched by, filling the gap of silence that lingered.

Then the leader nodded and placed Lucia back on the stone stand. She turned and left in silence, the other two, their weapons still poised for attack, following her. Stone scraped against stone as the door closed behind them.

For a long moment, silence hung in the air as each thought through his or her own thoughts.

Riku had not expected them to willing back down and leave. He stood there wounded, though not as badly as it would appear to others, Kairi—who wasn't supposed to be there at all—was wounded and obviously outmatched. Mark was defenseless and Lucia unconscious still.

Kairi had been preparing herself for death and the sudden release took her breath away. The gash on her leg finally made itself known by the increasing sting. It would need immediate cleaning if she was to keep if from getting infected.

Mark sat motionless, his eyes locked on Riku's, though the older man stared blankly at the closed rock door. In all truthfulness, Mark hadn't expected them to leave, but now, looking at Riku and seeing the flames in his eyes, Mark understood. There was a fierceness that gleamed there, making Riku strangely immune to pain, to hurt, to everything but his goals. No wonder the three had fled. Mark would have fled, even had he been a hardened warrior who could match Riku's skills.

Then the victory sprang loose in Mark's mind and he jumped up, crying out his sister's name. He looked her over, trying yet again to convince himself that she was okay. He'd seen every waking second when the cloaked leader had had her, had known that that was all that had happened, but he still felt like she was hurt. Permanently damaged in some way, some unchangeable, unbearable way.

Then it clicked.

She was still unconscious.

Mark chook her shoulders. "Wake up, Lucia! Wake up right now!"

Riku laid a hand on Mark's shoulder to still the boy's violent shake and spare Lucia the agony of it later. Mark looked up, tears glistening in his eyes.

"She won't wake up," he whispered in a broken voice. "What'd we do, Riku?"

"We get out of here first. Kairi, can you stand?"

"I think so," Kairi said, making the attempt.

Riku gathered Lucia in his arms, saying softly, "Mark, help Kairi. We'll go slowly; it'll be near nightfall before we get back to The Ranch."

The trek back was long, slow, and painful. Kairi's leg pained her a great deal, despite the fact that Riku had bandaged it with a strap of cloth from his bag. Blood seeped through and despite the fact that he couldn't do anything about the pace, he knew she needed to get off that leg.

He looked down at Lucia, holding her closer. Her normally straight, silky, long brown hair was tangled and dirty, and Riku had to envision her bright brown, expressive eyes just to keep his heart from sinking to his feet.

He knew what was wrong with her. He'd seen it before and strangely enough, it all added up. Kairi's heart had been taken once, but for totally different reasons. Kairi was one of the seven Princesses of Hearts, the seven who had the purest hearts. She'd been limp and helpless when he'd found her, just like Lucia was now.

The real Organization XIII had been after hearts, trying to actually make Kingdom Hearts to free themselves from their Nobodies forms, trying to become real, not subject to fade back into darkness at any second.

If the real Organization was after hearts, then it was a safe bet the imitation one was, too.

It all made sense; it all added up.

And Riku hated it simply because it did.

He wondered briefly if Kairi had put two and two together yet. Mark wouldn't know, and Riku didn't know if he wanted to tell him. Should he? Was there hope still in the boy's heart? Would that knowledge dash that hope? Would it enlighten him and bring hope? Riku didn't know and his mind spun with trying to comprehend it all.

It was nightfall by the time that returned to The Ranch. For Riku, those events were blurred as anger began the slow seep of consuming him. The ranch hand was delighted to have Lucia and Mark both back safely, oblivious to the fact that she was unconscious. Riku saw to it that Kairi's leg was properly bandaged, that Mark went to sleep, that Lucia was comfortable and warm. He lingered next to her pallet for a few moments as the last of Darkness returned to him. Weather he could control it or not had yet to be seen.

Touching her cheek, Riku closed his eyes. He wanted to stay there, but knew how little he could do there. He longed for something, anything other then the fear that he might not succeed. His heart torn, he stood at last, donned his black cloak and headed off again into the night, alone.

One thing, one thing in a million, was certain: the Riku Lucia loved was gone.

**-----**

**Cheekie Excel **(On a side note, I've had a problem with other writers not distinguishing when the POV changes, and it confuses me, so I try to make sure that it's obvious. Thanks!) and **Angel Of Blacksouls**, thank you both again for reviewing! It really does mean a lot to me when someone tells me what they think of the stories I write. :)


	9. The Dark Creature

**Chapter 9—The Dark Creature **

(I would have updated sooner, but have had several logon problems.)

**Cheekie Excel:** Sora is... I really don't know, but I kinda get the feeling that he's laying on the beach on the Destiny Islands, dreaming, while Riku and Kairi fight for their lives and for Lucia's and Mark's. Thanks for the review!

**Angel Of Blacksouls** Please don't cry! What if I promised he'd be okay? Would that make it better?

------

The woods were dark, shadows shifting over shadows in an eerie rustle of leaves. The utter stillness of the forest was broken only the wind and the occasional animal call. A crescent moon hung in the sky, but only a glimpse of its glow could be caught upon looking up; not one ray of moonlight filtered through the trees to dance across the ground.

The wood was unchanged. It stood in its nighttime stance just as it had every night since it was first called a wood.

But this time, a hunter prowled through the thick and dark undergrowth. Swiftly, he moved, without conscious thought and without effort, running slowly, brushing the forest's many arms and legs out of his way. His breathing was labored, silent. The shadows covered his face—which was the only part of him that was not shrouded in a black cloak.

It was an ancient game: Hunter and the Hunted.

And tonight, he was master at it.

Riku stood gently from his crouched position outside of the cave, where he and Mark had found Lucia. His cloak's hood had fallen back on his shoulders, but it did little to enlighten his face.

His eyes were dark. Cold. Flat. Dangerous.

His face was set in grim lines that gave away no expression, no inner thought. His body was set in a rigid stance, showing no signs of weakness from the earlier run to the cave, no sign of fatigue at this late hour of the night. Not even the moon dared shine on him in this more open area where its light did filter to the ground.

If it was possible for the darkness to come back, it had. If it was possible for Riku to become a monster, he had. If it was possible... anything was possible. And Riku planed to use that probability of possibility to his advantage.

_They _had Lucia's heart. She would remain unconscious until it was returned to her body and he was not about to let her stay that way. He would find her heart and take it back to her.

But this thought, this one simple, coherent thought, was all Riku could manage. The rage was so deep, so dark that his conscious was slipping away so that inside he feared what he was becoming, what he would be when this was done.

Lucia might never accept him again because he wouldn't be Riku anymore...He'd be...this... this thing of darkness.

A flicker of movement caught his eye from inside the cave and he charged forward. When he had left the remains of The Ranch, the Riku Lucia loved had slipped away, been lost to his dark anger. Now, he was consumed by it, so that Riku no longer existed. In his place was, simply, a Dark Creature.

-----

Mark sat next to Lucia in the middle of the night, listening to the fire as it sizzled out. The ranch hand was long since asleep, Kairi too, and Lucia... Lucia was still asleep, too.

Riku was gone.

That certain knowledge mixed with fear, admiration, and anger. Mark had no way of knowing where Riku had gone to; if he'd gone to finish off these evil people, if he'd run. The thought that Riku might run was totally uncalled for in Mark's mind—after all, Riku had been there to help them so far, why would he run now?—but it remained nonetheless. What _if_ he had run?

It nibbled at Mark, refusing him the sleep he so desperately needed. He felt alone, helpless, useless.

Finally, Mark cried himself to sleep, a victim of exhaustion and fatigue. But even in his dreams, his wayward emotions churned in his stomach so that they weren't dreams at all, but nightmares.


	10. Lucia's Heart

**Chapter 10—Lucia's Heart**

Blood poured down Dark Creature's back from one of the orbed spear weapons, even as its wielder died, his last breath of life fluttering from his lungs as he lay in a puddle of his own blood.

Dark Creature walked away, leaving the body to rot. He didn't know how many of them he'd killed, but it'd been quite a few and his thirst for blood was still not quenched.

The stone maze that these people called their base was extensive. So extensive, that he was lost. Mayhap lost if he was thinking, but he was not. All Dark Creature cared about was killing them. Killing them all. Watching the blood drain from their bodies through the gashes he created, hearing their anguished cries while he laughed with temporary relief from his blood thirst.

Consequently, the rustic smell of blood hung in the air, clinging to the damp walls, mixing with the darkness of the caves. He'd doused each wall torch that he'd found, in part because he didn't need the light and his enemy did.

Along with the Darkness's return, many other advantages had come, too. He could see even with no light, he felt no fatigue, no pain and now possessed extraordinary strength. Loosing his consciousness was a small price to pay. Loosing Lucia because he was now a monster was a small price to pay since he knew she would be okay.

He would die before she was otherwise.

Dousing another torch with a simple flicker of his fingers as he passed, Dark Creature walked on, silently, through the caves. He turned left into another tunnel with branches of its own. He doused another torch.

A shrill cry pierced the air from behind him and was accompanied by a trickle of blood down Dark Creature's back. He turned in one fluid motion, Keyblade in hand, to slash at his newest assailant, only to meet air.

Yet another imitation member stood ready to kill him, but this one stood back, a whip in hand. She looked confident, like she knew what she was doing.

Dark Creature bet she did, but then again, so did he.

He charged just as she sent the whip's end toward him. Holding the Keyblade up, he caught the end, watching as he charged still as it wrapped around his weapon. Giving the Keyblade a hard yank, he jerked the whip from her hand and slashed down.

She collapsed in a heap, a scream barely leaving her lips before she died. The whip uncoiled itself from the Keyblade to land in a growing puddle of blood on the stone floor. Dark Creature watched, satisfied yet again by the way the warm blood trickled from the body, becoming cold.

But it was too easy. As before, it was simply to easy, the respite too short.

Dark Creature walked on, silent, flicking his fingers at two more torches. He walked through the damp corridors, alone, filled with Darkness.

As he walked, though, something began to creep through his veins. Something...warm and light. It gave him momentary pause so that he slowed his pace, unsure for the first time ever. With each step, this light grew within him and he wanted desperately to stop, but couldn't. Merely could not. It rushed through him, chasing out the darkness, his sureness, his abilities, his strength. It drew Dark Creature to his doom; bore down on him relentlessly irresistibly.

Dark Creature turned the corner at a near run and almost simultaneously collapsed in a heap, like those he had recently killed, though without the blood.

He fought the Light as it engulfed him, but it was too strong, too close, too potent. Dark Creature fell to Light.

Sitting on a shelf carved into the stone wall of the small chamber that Dark Creature had entered, was Lucia's heart, bright and warm, contained in some kind of jar. It throbbed Light into the chamber, destroying what was once Riku.

----

"Riku,"

Mark jumped straight out of his deep sleep. Someone had said "Riku". Kairi was still sound asleep; the ranch hand, too. Had Mark been the one to mutter his friend's name? Surely not; he'd been dead to the world. So, then who? Maybe it had been a trick of the wind. Unless...

Mark looked to Lucia.

"Riku," It_ had_ been Lucia. Mark crawled over to where she lay, touching her shoulder. Her skin was warm where before it had been cool. "Riku..." The word was barely a whisper.

"Lucia, wake up! Sis, wake up!"

"Riku!" Lucia screamed it and Mark drew back in sudden, stunned surprise. Then, her facial expression collapsed back in on itself and she was still and silent again.

"What was that? Is she awake?" Kairi asked as she sat up.

Mark stared in bewilderment at his sister, tears gleaming in his eyes as he stared down at her still form, her skin gone suddenly cold under his touch.

----

Slowly, he came to be conscious. Slowly, he became aware of his surroundings. Slowly, he realized what the bright light was:

Lucia's heart.

Riku stood, his body aching, his cloak covered in foul-smelling blood. He'd lost conscious thought somewhere in the woods to wake up here, right where he needed to be. Looking around him, he saw no one else, so he stepped forward. He took the jar that contained her heart from the shelf and it burst in warmth and light in his hands. Gently, he tucked it into his cloak and went to leave.

Only to discover that he didn't have a clue where he was, or how to get out.

Determined to return Lucia's heart to her body, he walked down the left hall. If he stayed with the left hall, surely he'd come out somewhere, right? It was a gamble, but there was nothing else he could conceivably do that would be any more effective.

The dead, bloody bodies that littered areas sickened him. He knew he'd been the one to deal death to those down there; his cloak was covered in blood and it was not all his own. His own oozed from his gashes on his back, his arms and chest. His own was fresh while most of it on his cloak was dry or sticky.

Riku had no memory of the slaughter, nor had he any memory of anything from the time he'd thought he'd collapsed in the woods. But he'd obviously not collapsed.

----

Dawn had come and gone, time had ticked by, minutes had become hours. And Riku still had not returned. Lucia had not muttered a word again.

The silence and stillness was killing Mark. The wind blew steadily, the weather was warm and bright, the sun shone. Kairi tried to comfort him, tried to make it better, but he couldn't bring himself to feel confidence, comfort. It was killing him.

Then Riku came stumbling out of the woods, the smell of blood erupting in his wake. He stumbled, but continued on his unsteady run toward them.

"Riku!" Kairi jumped up from where she'd been sitting next to Lucia, the ranch hand came at a near frantic run toward them from where he'd been trying to clean up one of the barns' charred remains.

Riku's eyes remained fixed on Lucia, his eyes glistening with tears as he came to an abrupt and painful halt on his knees next to her. Everyone gathered around.

Things slowed.

Silence reigned; calming the forest and the fire where food cooked, the wind hushed and breathing was muted.

Riku pulled the jar gently from his cloak. Lucia's heart glowed brightly, even in the daylight as he unscrewed the lid. The heart, which has been floating in the jar as if in liquid all along, floated out and down to land on Lucia's chest, merging and disappearing back into her body.

One second, she was still, in the next second, she took in a shuttering breath. Lucia opened her eyes, her beautiful, tear-filled brown eyes to look at Riku.

------

**Angel Of Blacksouls** and **Cheekie Excel**: Once again, thank you both for reviewing! It shames me that you both R&R so quickly and it takes me so long to upload. :( Have to work on that... **Green-Day27**, thank you also for R&R for "Riku" and "Riku 2".

As I'm sure you all can figure out, the next chapter will be the last. For me, the story—starting with a fragmented first chapter in "Riku", all the way to the end chapter of the sequel—has been a great adventure. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have.


	11. And Everything Was Perfect

**Chapter 11—And Everything was Perfect**

The sunlight was strong, bright, brilliant. It shifted through the clouds, falling across lush green grass, charred rubble and the tent circle that sat at the edge of The Ranch. The sounds of shouts and the hammering of nails, grunts and whistles, animals and laughter reverberated through the valley.

The Ranch was no longer a desolate, scorched place; it danced with life again. The ranch hands had returned. The burned remains of the buildings were being cleared away and new structures, built with slow and deliberate determination, were going up.

A rumble of male laughter floated on the gentle breeze as Lucia came out from one of the tents, carrying a basket. She squinted in the bright sunlight, putting her hand over her eyes. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a clasp, so that it fell down her back, free to swish with her movements. The sundress she wore was light with a low square neck, light blue in hue.

Squinting even more, she raised her eyes to the roof of the barn that was going up quickly. Four men were perched on the top. One was Sora, who was saying something he obviously thought was funny as he spun the hammer in his hand. Two were ranch hands. The last was Riku.

Smiling at the warm feeling that crept through her, she walked toward them, swinging her basket as she went.

"Hello, Lucia," one of the ranch hands said as she passed.

"Good morning," she said back, smiling.

She stopped a few feet from the wooden studs that were the only support for the growing formation, looked up and called cheerfully,

"Hello, boys!"

"Mornin', Lucia," one of them said.

"Look, Riku; your girlfriend's here!" Sora said, jabbing Riku in the arm. Riku kept his concentration on the nail he was diligently hammering in until it was finished, then turned to face her.

He smiled and that smile melted her heart. Tossing the hammer to Sora, who protested with a startled yelp and a scramble to catch it, Riku shifted slightly so that he fell between the bars that would hold up the roof. He caught himself on the beam he'd been sitting on at just the right second, holding for a millisecond, so that his landing several feet below was easier.

He landed on his feet before her, standing tall from the crouched position.

She looked up into his face, tanned from working in the sun. "Are you hungry?"

Smiling, his eyes searched her slowly from head to toe, taking in what she wore, how she stood, the dark circles under her eyes, the timbre of her voice, the color of her cheeks, and the basket she carried.

He nodded. "Yeah, I think I am," He offered his arm to her and she took it, leaning against him as they walked, their footsteps perfect in unison. His head rested on hers and he leaned against her in turn so that they depended on each other's being there to walk forward.

"You look good, Lucia," he said softly as they headed out of the construction area to their spot. "Tired, but not exhausted. There's color to your cheeks now. You look happy."

"I am happy," she said, the smile obvious in her voice.

It had been four days since Riku had returned Lucia's heart to her body. Four days since she'd woken up to be bombarded with Mark's teary-eyed physical attachment to her arm, Kairi's overjoyed face and words, the ranch hand's welcome and Riku's somber, but bright face. She'd barely had any privacy for the first day and it had been nightfall before she had had the chance to speak to Riku alone.

He'd told her what had happened. What he suspected had happened to him.

"_Darkness had control of me again, Lucia... I...I was evil,"_

"_You weren't evil, Riku," she mumbled softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. "You were angry, and hurt, and determined. That doesn't make a person evil. That doesn't make you evil."_

"_But I was so much more then that, Lucia. I longed so much, I tried so hard and came out with so little, that my being, my self, no longer existed. The Darkness that sleeps within me was all I was. I can't explain it any better then that."_

"_Oh, Riku... It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't. All that matters is that we're together again,"_

The moonlight had outlined them as they'd come together, their lips blending in a soft, lover's kiss that had lasted for a brief moment, only to be turned into a more fiery, demanding one. It had been bliss, the entire experience.

Now, Lucia spread the cloth over the grass and they sat together, eating their sandwiches in companionable silence, watching the second barn go up. The feeling of progress, of rebuilding after the disaster, was mixed with relief and a long-lost sense of joyful contentment. It mingled with the warm weather so that it was almost perfect... Almost.

Sandwich finished, Lucia turned on the blanket to face Riku. He finished his in two bites, the looked at her, too.

"Have you decided, Riku? Are you going to stay here... with me?"

Riku sighed. He'd done nothing but debate with himself about it for the past four days. When he and Lucia had finally gotten the chance to talk, he'd forced himself to be totally honest with her, telling her everything, though his first instinct had been to hide what he'd been. She'd accepted him then, told him that it hadn't mattered. Now she wanted him to stay. With her. How was he supposed to refuse that offer, especially when both of their hearts were on the line, especially when his heart called to him to stay? How could he stay, though? Darkness did indeed sleep within him. He had the capability to be very dangerous; he'd very recently proven it. Maybe he could learn to control that darkness. Maybe someday, it wouldn't be a threat.

Besides, a little bit of darkness sleeps within every heart.

Riku looked up suddenly to look her full in the face, and in his eyes the lingering doubt was chased out by warmth. "I think I will stay. I'm not afraid of who I am anymore." He nodded, confirming to himself what he'd just said. "I know I can stay; how do you argue with your heart?"

Lucia half-laughed, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes as she gazed up at him. "You don't," she said softly, simply.

They leaned close, melting again into a kiss, their arms wrapping around each other, one pressing against the other.

Then everything was perfect.

------

**Angel Of Blacksouls, Cheekie Excel**: Thank you both for your constant reading and reviewing! I appreciate it so much.

**the-light-shines-within**, thank you so much. To draw a reader into a story is practically every writer's dream. Thanks for giving me the chance.

Goodness. This is a long story and I've gotten nothing but positive feedback the entire way. First off, I'd like to thank those of you who called for the sequel in the first place; the story never would have happened had you all not said something in the first place.

Second off, I'd like to thank my reviewers: **Angel-of-Twilight13, Angel Of Blacksouls, a random idiot, Twighlight-Teen, Tyrell Cchran-DaRk AnGel, Aya Shinonome, Cheekie Excel, Green-Day27, the-light-shines-within and Lucy. **You all are the best.

Third off, I'd like to thank those of you who only read the story. I appreciate it simply because you took the time to do it.

Farewell can be so hard. I'll miss writing on this one. There will be others, always, though whether or not they'll be Kingdom Hearts, I've no way of knowing. I hope you all have enjoyed the saga.

_--DreamWeaver010 _


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